Born in the family of a furniture maker; worked as tanner and merchant at Le Havre; was elected to local chamber of commerce; commanded a battalion of mobile guards during the Franco-Prussian war (1870-1871); moderate republican; elected to Chambre des députés (Chamber of deputies) for Le Havre (1881-1885) and Seine-Inférieure (1885-1895); served as under-secretary for the colonies and commerce (14 Nov 1882 - 26 Jan 1882), under-secretary for marine and the colonies (22 Sep 1883 - 28 Apr 1885, 5 Jan 1888 - 19 Feb 1888), minister of marine (30 May 1894 - 17/26 Jan 1895); elected President of the Republic (17 Jan 1895); approved the conquest of Madagascar (1897); exchanged visits with the Emperor of Russia Nikolay II (1896, 1897); popularity was undermined over the Fashoda conflict, an unsuccessful confrontation with Great Britain in the Sudan (1898); opposed reopening the Dreyfus Affair, a 12-year social and political controversy (1894-1906), resulting from false conviction of an army captain of Jewish origin; suddenly died of cerebral hemorrhage.